Deja Vu
by johnnnycadesgirl16
Summary: Ponyboy wishes the events leading up to the deaths of his best friends didn't happen...what if he got one more chance to fix it? Will he and his friends come out alive? R/R.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own The Outsiders, or any scenes I have taken from the book, such as when Ponyboy comes home. Those belong to S E Hinton.**

Ponyboy Curtis walked down the street. It was way past midday, and Ponyboy wanted to get inside before the sun started setting. He hated sunsets. He didn't used to, but he did now.

Why? Because they reminded Pony of _him._

He was Ponyboy's best friend.

He understood Pony. He understood why Pony dug sunsets, and reading.

He understood when Ponyboy complained to him, even though he knew he himself had it a lot worse then Ponyboy.

He understood why Ponyboy thought the social classes were unfair. He himself wished there was a world without greasers and socs. He had wished there was a place were there were just plain, ordinary people.

He was in that place now.

Or at least, that's what Ponyboy thought.

He didn't deserve to go to hell, so he must be in heaven, right? Ponyboy doubted that God could let someone so sweet and gentle go to hell. Sure, he had killed somebody, but Ponyboy doubted he'd go to hell for self defense.

Ponyboy kicked a can. It was something _he _would do.

He could picture his face now. His tan skin, and dark, greasy hair. The scar from temple to cheekbone.

He found a bench, near the park. _The _park. Where it all happened.

Pony shuddered and closed his eyes. He leaned back against the park bench.

He wished and wished this had never happened.

Things flashed through his mind very quickly.

Bob.

The fountain.

Blood.

Baloney sandwiches.

_Gone With the Wind. _

Jay Mountain.

Cutting their hair.

The church.

The fire.

Kids.

The hospital.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold."

He could hear the hoarseness of his voice now, the way his eyes fluttered, trying to stay open. The crisp white hospital sheets. The tacky pattern of the curtains. His struggled breaths, coming out in ragged gasps.

Ponyboy's eyes snapped open.

It was dark. He must have fallen asleep. He had no idea what time it was. Darry was going to kill him.

He started running. He heard his breaths get heavier and a little more struggled as he neared his house. For a while all he could hear was the pounding of his feet and the creatures of the night around him.

He burst through the door, out of breath.

"Where the hell have you been?" Darry demanded. "Do you know what time it is?"

He shook his head. He couldn't remember when he'd seen Darry this mad before…or could he?

"Well, it's two in the morning, kiddo. Another hour and I would have sent the police out after you. Where were you, Ponyboy?"

This was oddly familiar. He thought for a second. The last time he'd heard this was when…_No,_ he thought. _No way._

"Where in the almighty universe were you?" Darry's voice was getting louder and louder by the second.

"I…" Ponyboy couldn't get the words out. This was all too familiar.

Sodapop stirred and opened his eyes. "Hey, Pony," he said sleepily, "where ya been?" Ponyboy decided to play this out just as he had remembered it.

"I…I didn't mean to. I just fell asleep in the park…"

"You what?" He was yelling now. "Do you have any sense in your head, Ponyboy? I reckon it never even occurred to you that your brothers might be worrying their heads off and afraid to call the cops because a stunt like that could get you two thrown in a boys' home so quick it'd make your head spin. Can't you use your head? You haven't even got a coat on."

"I said I didn't mean to…" Ponyboy told him, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He was proud of his own acting.

"Darry…" Sodapop began, ready to defend his younger brother.

Darry whirled around to face him. "You keep your trap shut! I'm sick and tired of hearin' you stick up for him."

Ponyboy got mad. Nobody yells at Soda. "Don't you yell at him!"

Darry wheeled around and slapped him so hard he fell against the door.

It was deathly quiet. Ponyboy ran out of the house.

"Ponyboy!" he heard Darry call. But he kept running.

He had to check the lot. If he remembered correctly…_he _would be there, covered in newspapers, huddled up, asleep.

He stopped suddenly when he saw a clump of newspapers on the old car seat.

_No way…_he ran towards it to check it out.

**AN: review? ;) This was originally a one-shot, but once I got the words going it sorta flowed. But if nobody likes it I'll keep it a one-shot.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoa, thanks for all the reviews! Didn't expect this many! xD **

He thought it was Johnny, but he couldn't be sure.

The person stirred, and sat up. He must have heard Pony running up.

It was Johnny!

Johnny sleepily rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Pony?"

Ponyboy couldn't help it. He tackled Johnny in a hug. Johnny, confused, sat there for a moment, but slowly hugged him back.

"Are…are you okay, Ponyboy?"

Pony grinned. He was so happy to see his best friend again—too happy for words.

He just sat there with a stupid grin on his face.

Pony thought for a moment. He had to do everything he could to prevent the socs from beating them up, because that would lead to Jay Mountain, and Johnny dying. He had to do everything he could to keep his best friend alive.

_If we don't go to the park, then we won't run into the socs, right? Then Johnnycake won't die or be killed and everything will be alright, _he told himself.

So, it was decided. They would stay in the lot until the next morning, so they wouldn't run into any socs.

They watched the stars. They got to talking, and soon drifted off.

The boys were woken up suddenly by the sound of a car screeching to a sudden halt. They both sat up, looking around.

A blue mustang was not far away, with five figures getting out.

_No, _Pony thought. _We stayed here to _avoid _them._

He started to panic. What if Johnny had the blade, and stabbed them?

No, Johnny wouldn't stab them, because Ponyboy wouldn't drown. There isn't a fountain in the lot.

But what if they had blades?

He looked at Johnny. Small, scared Johnny. He could see the older boy trembling. He faintly remembered when Johnny had stabbed the soc.

But this was Pony's chance to change what had happened. He couldn't let Johnny die, he just couldn't.

Pony hoped to God that Johnny didn't kill anyone. He really, really hoped.

Those were his last thoughts as the five figures closed around them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reviews! ^_^**

Ponyboy could smell alcohol on one's breath.

"Well, well, look what we got here," one said. Ponyboy recognized him as Bob Sheldon. He was in some of his advanced classes.

"Are these the pathetic low-lives that…picked up on our women?" he continued.

"Ya know what a greaser is?" one asked.

Ponyboy and Johnny just sat there. They could hear their own hearts pounding in their ears.

The same one continued anyway. "White trash with long greasy hair."

They all laughed sadistically. _A chorus of wicked laughter, _Ponyboy thought distractedly.

He saw Johnny trembling. He didn't see how anyone could hurt Johnny, really. The small, scared look in his eyes would send anyone with _some _heart into guilt if they laid a hand on him. He was so…fragile. So innocent.

Ponyboy wanted him to stay innocent, not kill someone.

"Ya know what a soc is?" Pony asked.

"What?" Bob questioned.

"White trash with mustangs and Madras." And because he couldn't think of anything else to call them, he spit on them.

"Get 'em!" one yelled.

The two boys were off in a flash. Running as fast as they could. Distantly, Ponyboy noticed the cold stinging his eyes as he ran. That didn't slow him down.

He saw Johnny get tackled, and stopped in his tracks.

Before he could start towards Johnny and his attacker, he himself was tackled to the ground.

The soc was strong, but the alcohol slowed him down. Ponyboy slipped away only to find that Johnny had escaped his own attacker.

They took off running.

Ponyboy listened for pounding footsteps behind them, and when all he heard were crickets chirping, he slowed. Soon Johnny did, too.

"That was close," Pony said.

"Yeah," Johnny panted, out of breath.

They neared the corner to his street, and looked at Johnny. Ponyboy started laughing.

"What?" Johnny asked.

Ponyboy couldn't answer. He was just so relieved.

_Well, _Ponyboy thought, _at least he didn't kill no one. I avoided _one _disaster._

**Review? I know it was short, I still don't know exactly where I'm going with this.**


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry about the long wait. My computer crashed. It sucked.**

"I…we're okay, Johnny!"

Johnny looked at his best friend like he was crazy. "Yeah…Pony, we are…"

Pony patted him on the back, and they headed to the Curtis home. It was a dark night, and they were the only people out. The only thing illuminating the streets were the faint streetlights, the moon, and the stars.

Ponyboy swung open the door as they reached his house.

"Pony!" Soda cried, as he swallowed his brother in a hug. As they broke apart, Darry came up.

"I'm sorry Ponyboy…" and before Darry could finish, Pony flung himself into his older brother's arms. Darry slowly hugged him back and chuckled. "I guess I'm forgiven, then."

Pony nodded and looked around. Was Dally alive, too?

Sure enough, just as he thought that, Dally came in.

"Hey," Darry scolded, "no smokin' in the house, ya hear?"

Dallas rolled his eyes and put out the butt.

"What are ya starin' at, kid?" Dallas asked Pony.

"N-nothin. Sorry Dally."

Johnny came up to Ponyboy. He'd noticed Pony had been acting weird lately, and he wanted to ask him what was wrong.

"Hey, Pony, wanna go outside?" Johnny asked him quietly, pulling him away from the group.

Ponyboy, sensing something was wrong and Johnny wanted to talk, agreed. He followed his best friend outside.

They sat down on the stoop outside. The concrete was cold, not helping the already chilly weather.

"What is it, Johnny?"

Johnny looked at his friend.

"Pony, is somethin' wrong? You've been actin' weird lately."

_Great,_ he thought, _now Johnny knows somethin's up_.

"W-what do ya mean?" Pony asked, playing dumb.

"Well…" Johnny started, looking for the right words. "You've been starin' at me all night like I got somethin' wrong with me. And then when Dallas came in, you was starin' at him the same way."

That was quite a speech for Johnny.

"Well, Johnny," he said slowly, "what if…what if I _knew _something was going to happen?"

Johnny looked at him seriously. "Like what?"

"Well, what if I knew you were going to…die?"

Johnny looked at him like he was crazy, and Pony instantly regretted saying it.

**Review? ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the wait. D:**

Chapter five:

"What…what do ya mean, Pony?"

Pony gulped nervously and looked away. Johnny would surely think he was crazy now.

"Well…"

"C'mon, man," Johnny said, starting to get impatient.

_What the heck, _Pony thought, _might as well tell him, he prob'ly thinks I'm crazy anyway._

"Well, I know what's gonna happen, Johnny."

"How?" Johnny asked, completely serious. Ponyboy was surprised; Johnny might actually believe him.

"Well, okay, I know what's gonna happen because it's already happened before."

Johnny just stared at him, saying nothing, so Ponyboy continued.

"See, I was sittin' on the bench at the park, thinking about when you died—" he glanced at Johnny, who was a little pale but looked normal non the less—"and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, you were alive again, and…well, I think this is a second chance. You know, to keep you and Dal alive."

Johnny blinked.

"I know it sounds crazy, but—"

"You're right, Pony, it sounds crazy," Johnny said.

"You don't believe me."

"I…Pony, are you serious 'bout all this?" Johnny looked at him skeptically, as if trying to tell if he was lying or not.

"Yes, Johnny. I'm not makin' this up."

"So…" he pondered it for a moment. "So, you're really tellin' the truth."

"Yes," Pony answered truthfully.

Johnny gave him a look, and stood.

"I'm…I'm gonna go, Pony."

"Johnny, wait…"

Pony knew he shouldn't have told him.

Johnny slowly backed away. "I'll…I'll see ya later, Ponyboy."

Johnny was gone before he knew it. He felt so stupid. Pony should have just kept his mouth shut, and not said anything.

He probably ruined everything.

He probably just ruined his only chance to save his best friend's life.

**Review? (:**


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